The Bubbly blogger

Complete a half marathon for World Vision (X) I can check this goal off my bucket list.  Today I ran in the MN half marathon with Kassie and Peter. I never thought I would complete/run in a half marathon. I always thought running over 30 minutes was boring. I have this fear that I would get sick or hurt if I ran 13.1 miles.  Then I saw how Kassie was training for the half and full year after year. I knew I had to at least try to run a half marathon. So I started training in April and ran up to 10 miles.  Then a week before the half, I started waking up at 3 AM, sweaty and having mini panic attacks as I thought about the race. You can say Satan was trying to get me to back out of it. I was more determined than ever to run it.  Flash forward to today, I started claiming God's promises as I ran, such as " The joy of the Lord is my strength, In Christ I can do all things who strengthens me, and I look up to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes fr...

Hi Everyone!! I am back and its been a long week since conferences were on Monday.  I think its so easy to get caught up on the negative and carry the hard things with us. 1. One of  my first graders told my mom that she was worried of me: she is learning Empathy 2. My mom got to come help in my classroom. 3. My prayer group and I put on a breakfast for the school and two more teachers are interested in joining. 4. I got to have coffee with my one of my co workers after school. 5. We have a 3 day weekend. 6.  I get to go to Dallas with KJ 7.  One of my co workers complimented me on my patience with the difficult class that I have. He gave me the validation that I am not doing anything wrong, my kids are just hard. 8.  Two of my student's parents said they appreciate me and the hard work that is put in to care and teach these young students. 9. My brother and sister won their basketball games against Gustavus. 10.. My dad got to come home f...

This post has been forming in my mind for awhile but it has taken some weeks to get the courage to write about it. My birthday is 4 weeks away and I am reflecting on turning 27. I am realizing that its okay to not be in a relationship. ... Wow I can't believe I said that. Singleness is a gift not a burden, something that my really good friend Noelle told me over the weekend  when I visited her in South Carolina. She helped me see that I was putting myself in a box because I was feeling like I had nothing to offer the world and the church since I didn't have a significant other. Yet Paul celebrates singleness in Corinthians.  I have so much to offer the world and God can use me in so many different realms that I haven't even explored yet. So many people say use this time before marriage to do things you want to do. I am making a goal to go somewhere new once a month. So I sit here and encourage you to try new things, take yourself  to dinner, join a class. Don't ...

16  And the  Lord  God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;   17  but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,  for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:16-17  I was reading   Tailor Made   by Alex Seeley yesterday and she talked about this passage. She talked about how Eve was looking for something she thought she didn't have: wisdom. But I also think Eve was looking for control. So in her pride she fell into the temptation to go her own way do her own thing and eat from the tree.  That's when I believe the Holy Spirit reminded me that I succumb to the same temptation: believing that I don't have control and I need it and once I have it, everything will turn out right. In my present situation, I see how it looks like not waiting for God to provide a teaching job for me. I apply for every job whether its teaching related or not just so I can hav...

Sorry readers its been a long time since I have posted, I was just trying to figure out my thoughts on this.  A couple of weeks ago my family and I went to Bismarck,  North Dakota for a family reunion and 90th birthday party for my grandma. On Saturday we had party for her with most of my dad's side of the family. We went around and shared a  memory we had with grandma. Just listening her children, my aunts and uncles, share about sacrifices she made when she married my grandpa made an impact on me. One of the things that stuck out to me was my uncle saying " If she (my grandma) hadn't made the decision to live in Bismarck while my grandpa was in the army, then my Aunt holly ( his wife) wouldn't have gone to Moorhead State where they met."   That one choice affected my aunt's life.  That got me thinking about the choices I have made and the people around me have made and how its affected their lives.  If my sister Abbey hadn't gone to Colorado ...

The post below is meant to be funny and involves my opinion on things I learned from doing online dating. 1. If you post a shirtless selfie I will throw up in my mouth and swipe left. 2. If you brag about the house you own, I will congratulate you and  move on. 3. If you mention politics I will swipe left . 4.  If you post any photos with kids then I will definitely swipe right ;) 5. If you claim to have a "dad bod" or tell lame dad jokes then you should probably pass on me because that so not attractive. 6. The biggest kicker: if you claim that you are not religious then I will for sure swipe left because I don't have a religion I have a relationship with my Savior.

40 days is significant a number in the Bible - Noah was in the ark for 40 days - Moses and Israelite's wandered in the desert for 40 days - Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days  There were probably other times God used the number 40 but these were the ones that came to front of my mind.  So my friend Kassie asked me if I wanted to choose a desire and pray about it together for 40 days. We are both wanting to be in a relationship with our future husbands so we decided to pray about it on the phone or in person for 40 days. 1. That God would give us patience to wait for him 2. We would would surrender the desire and control to God 3. Use our single season wisely Our 40 days ends on March 30 which is coming up in 8 days. Three things I have learned through this experience: 1.  There is a reason God calls us to pray without ceasing. We remain connected to the Father the more times we talk to Him 2. It is life giving and sometimes easier praying f...

I was scrolling through social media and I saw that its international women's day. I usually don't pay attention to the special days beside holidays but I am thankful for my girlfriends and want to post some photos of our fun times. Shout out to the women  in my life because they are confident, beautiful, brave and courageous. They serve Jesus where ever they go!!

Ecuador: a country in South America, bordered by Colombia to the North, Peru to the east and south, and Pacific ocean to the west. This girl was just asked to go on a teacher trip to Ecuador. This trip has God's hand all over it and soon you will see why. So back in December my mentor that I meet with every month said I should go on a trip with International School Project. Its an organization of men and women that go to different countries around the world and put on conferences to help train teachers using specific curriculums. At the time I was starting to see someone and didn't know where we would be during the summer. So I stored what she said in the back of my mind. Then throughout the next few months, she got me in touch with her friend that is on staff with the organization. Her friend and I would talk on the phone once every couple of weeks. Then at the beginning of  Februaary, the guy I was seeing called things off and oddly enough I knew that this was God'...

The other day I went out to dinner with two friends that I had known for almost 10 years. We only see each other once a month and sometimes once every two months. One is engaged and thee other friend is a teacher and single like me. I have actually known this friend since kindergarten. Do you know when you are in a difficult season and sometimes its hard to share when people everything that is going on in your life? Sometimes I only want to share one thing and keep the rest a secret so they don't have to feel bad if they are going through a good season or a season of joy.But since I have known these friends a long time and haven't seen them in a while I thought I would be honest with them and share what's on my heart You except them to be supportive and sympathetic to the situation. Then when they don't react the way you want them to do, its hard to stay focused the rest of the time you are with them. I walked away hurt from the situation. I felt like we had grown ...

"Your greatest hurt can become your greatest ministry." Holley Gerth ' Its crazy how life can change in one week. To be honest I never thought I would be writing this blog post. So I ended my long term sub position this past Friday and the staff/students at the school blew me away with their kindness and send off.  One of the teachers bought me Jimmy Johns for lunch. Both of the first grade teachers had all the first graders write me a sweet note and how they will remember me. They put everyone's card in a binder. I was blown away by this surprise. Then Thursday night I was on my way home from work when I was rear ended on the free way and the other driver sped off. Thankfully it only shattered my brake light but still was super frustrating. Later that night the guy I was dating called things off which was a total surprise. I am not going to get into things because I want to keep it private  but I share this news so that you understand where I am coming fro...

Have you heard that song from Grinch, Where are you Christmas? Cindy Lou Who sings it after seeing the Grinch at the post office. I don't know why but  I love the melody. I think my favorite Christmas song is a tie between  Do you hear what I hear by Anthem Lights and Mary Did you know by Go Fish or Pentatonix This season is all about waiting and anticipation of Jesus coming to Earth and being born. I think this season is so good about focusing on Jesus. But sometimes I get caught up on making it about me and things I am waiting for. Its good to self reflect and notice how God is working in your life. I can name two things that I am waiting for and I can't wait to see how and when God will bring them into my life or change these desires. I have just realized that this time last year I was so focused on blessings God is going to give me and not Jesus and his birth. I don't know where I am really going with this but God has just changed my perspective on this season. I...

As most of you know my friend Kassie and I are participating in dressember. We are committing to wearing a dress every day in the month of December to raise awareness and finances for victims stuck in human trafficking. Well today I found out that another teacher in my school is participating in dressember too. That was a great connection for my Monday. Sometimes it has been hard to wear dresses but having an accountability partner has helped a lot. Praying for the victims and International Justice Mission  has been encouraging too. Our goal is to raise $500 and I am at $15 personally. I am so excited to see how God will move in this particular area in my life. If you feel led to give you can donate here: https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/team/jane-and-joyce So in other news I had an awesome weekend. I got to go out to dinner with my mom on Friday night. Then Saturday, I went Christmas shopping, had a coffee with a friend from college and then later babysat. On Sun...

Happy December!!! I can't believe its only 22 days till Christmas!!! Wow so many things have been happening in the past week that God has opened my eyes that why I called this post that. These things include: Meeting with my principal to discuss future position and him being impressed with my work. Going on a date with a a great guy but finding out we don't share the same values. Seeing how God spared me from future hurt Receiving a nasty email from a parent and realizing that God could hold me and my tears Happy hour with a girl from a small group and getting 2 for 1 drinks, and encouraging each other in this season of singlness Finishing report cards at Avant in Anoka, love this coffee shop Birthday celebrations with good friends Sleeping over at my parents and having good, deep conversations with them about life Working a half day yesterday and running errands with my mom Sun shining in this MN weather december God bringing me back to teaching Havi...

What a weekend!!! I have never had  such a life giving weekend than this one. We celebrated Thanksgiving at my house, went shopping at Albertville with my brother, his roommate and my sister. Then later Target with my other sister and friend Kassie. Friday I was so sick with my cold, so I stayed in all day. Saturday: I got to have coffee with my former Bible study leader Stephanie at the new daily dose. She gave me such encouraging words of wisdom with all areas of my life. One of the things she said is that we stop living life when we start waiting for something as if our life will start when God provides that one thing. Saturday afternoon: I went to my sister's Haylee's basketball game at Bethel. They played against a really good team and won by two points. We had game night and a family dinner. We played Pictionary. Just lots of laughter and funny drawings. Sunday: I went to Kassie's church and met some awesome people. Then we went to Brunch at the hen house. Bru...

Man guys, this week has been crazy busy, and definitely full of some high and lows. Thought I would use my next few posts to list things I am thankful for with Thanksgiving coming up next week.... Grocery shopping with my roomie on Saturday !! When I am used to relying on my parents due to lack of funds, it was nice to be able to buy my own food for a change... I love Aldi Happy hour with my friends Leah and Kelly on Tuesday, we always have good talks and lots of laughs My firsties they say the cutest things such as " How does God make buses? Can I eat lunch with you? He called you his mom A SUPER encouraging text from a friend at my small group, the face that I woke up to on Tuesday morning and it came at the perfect time dealing with mean people in my life. Just the fact that I can teach again, my restored passion for it from God parents that pray for you and tell you that they love you everyday principal that asks how my day is every day a half day tomorrow, ...

Every fear is rooted in a insecurity. Hmm this thought crossed my mind during church this morning. I believe it was from the Holy Spirit. He had me name my desire and convinced me to look at the fear behind it. I have this desire to be in a relationship and settle down with my future husband, Bur I have been trying to control my life regarding this issue. That's when through the gentle nudge of the Spirit did I resize that my fear is being the last single one. I was spending so much of my time looking at other people who were in serious relationships, desiring that which then led to a spiral of negative thoughts including the one "What about me God?" I wish I could say that peace came in that moment but it hasn't. I believe God is going to give me victory over this fear. I remember reading this book in college by Mandy Hale called the "The Single Woman" It sounds corny but it was challenging. She says"  you don't NEED a significant other to ...

Wow guys it has almost been a month since I have blogged. I didn't realize that. Life has been crazy busy. I started my new job as a long term sub and I love it. The students are full of high energy & there are 25 of them. The principal is so supportive. The other teachers are helpful and kind. But not being in  a classroom for a year has definitely been a struggle. I am constantly relying on God to show me how to have high expectations but also earn their respect. Another new thing in my life is that I have serving in my youth group by co-leading an 8th grade  girl's group. I went on a retreat with them to Camp Shamineau last weekend. It was fun and event filled. The weather was freezing and the speaker was harsh. But I enjoyed horse back riding, and rock climbing with my girls. We stayed up till at least 12:30 every night, tiring haha. If you know me I am in bed by 9:30 every night. I wanted to expand and give my thoughts on the speaker because he came across harsh. ...

Happy Sunday!!! As most of you know I have been subbing to fill my time while I wait for the teacher to have a baby so I can start being a long term sub. Last week I subbed at an Early Childhood Center for students with special needs. It was only supposed to be a half day job. Then they asked me if I could stay around for the afternoon since they were short staff. I worked into two different classrooms. In both classrooms, there were 4-5 students. The morning was tough because the students needed a lot of care. It wasn't your typical preschool classroom. The students didn't have structure instead had a lot of free play time. I can't even think of how to describe it but long and an emotional day As I drove home that day I started reflecting on why I was so emotionally exhausted. God opened my eyes that it was tough to see the kids not be able to do "normal" school stuff. Most of the kids can't really talk so its a lot of songs and movement. The sadness led...

6  So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,  continue to live your lives in him,   7  rooted  and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,  and overflowing with thankfulness.  Colossians 2:6-7 Lately as in the last two weeks, I have been learning a lot about being rooted in Christ. I am in two small groups and serve with my church's youth group. In all three groups we are studying Ephesians and God is just blowing my min revealing two overall themes to me: Being Chosen and Rooted. One of my Bible Studies is called Rooted which is cool. First we are chosen by God, the Creator of the Universe, that should blow your mind ! That makes me feel overwhelmed by His love Second I can't do anything apart from Christ and that is ok. I am trying to break the habit of reading my Bible in the morning and then never acknowledging God throughout my day. Even though I know internally that he cares about EVERY detail of my life. I...